Cruz Blasts UN Resolution That Calls Israel 'Occupying Power'

Texas Sen. Ted Cruz blasted a pro-Palestine United Nations draft resolution that insists sacred sites in Jerusalem are Muslim, not Jewish.

Cruz told The Weekly Standard, "Our allies should be on notice that abstaining is simply not enough anymore. Given aggressive Palestinian action in UNESCO we need them to actively vote against these resolutions, so we can defeat them."

Cruz was referring to a United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) draft resolution called "Occupied Palestine," which asserted that the Temple Mount and the Western Wall are Muslim sites while denying the Jewish connection to them. The resolution also says that Israel is an "occupying power."

The resolution passed 24-6, with 26 countries opting not to vote. The United States voted no.

"It is unfortunate that the U.S. Mission to UNESCO could not do more to persuade our allies to oppose this disgraceful resolution, the real purpose of which is to undermine Jerusalem's identity as the capital of the Jewish State," Cruz said.

The Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) joined Cruz in condemning the measure, saying it undermines history.

"It would be hard to think of a historical and religious connection, like the millennial Jewish connection to Jerusalem and Temple Mount, that is older, stronger or better documented," ZOA National President Morton A. Klein said in a press release.

"Continual archaeological discoveries, of which last month's discovery of a weight bearing the name of a Second Temple-era high priest is, but the most recent, that have been confirming still further the truth of this connection. These discoveries have proceeded despite efforts by the Muslim waqf to destroy archaeological evidence beneath the Temple Mount over the years."

Klein called the draft resolution "anti-Semitic and anti-peace."

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